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tips&techniques CONTINUED A variety of tools can be hung from the eye screws on both sides. Broomstick with 1-in. eye screw extends 4 in. beyond rung. Cleaner drywall demolition On some remodeling jobs, you need to be especially mindful of the mess that gets created. When demolishing a wall, for example, instead of smashing the drywall to pieces, you can remove it in large sheets if you access the fasteners holding it to the studs. Estimate the stud location using measurements or a few taps of your knuckle. Then run a magnet along each stud. The magnet will stick to the wall directly over screws or nails, making it easy to mark their location. Gently chip away the small amount of drywall mud to reveal the fasteners. Unfasten the screws, or pry out the nails with a cat’s paw. —TOM BOWEN Fayetteville, Ark. Foam fixes outlet boxes If the hole you cut for an electrical outlet in drywall is a bit off, don’t just hope that the cover plate will hide the mistake. Instead, fill the void with expanding foam. The foam sticks to electrical boxes and raw drywall edges just fine. Once the foam is hardened, it can be trimmed to below flush and mudded over. Without the foam, the mud would simply crack off with light pressure. The foam gives good backing for the mud and also helps to block air leaks. —JIM MCALLISTER Portland, Ore. 22 FINE HOMEBUILDING Tape saves sandpaper While using my orbital sander, I was having difficulty keeping the sandpaper from ripping where it attaches under the wire clamps. I remedied the problem by putting a piece of masking tape along the edge of the sandpaper before clamping it in place. The first piece I tried lasted longer than the three previous pieces combined. —CARL DITTBURNER Rolling Meadows, Ill. Extension-ladder tool holder Using items collecting dust in my shop, I assembled a simple fixture (drawings above) for holding tools and materials while I work on an extension ladder. I started by cutting an old broom handle into a 25-in.-long piece. I drilled the center of each end and screwed a 1-in. eye screw into each hole. The wood rod slides into the hollow rung on my ladder, with about 4 in. sticking out each side. This gives me the ability to hang items such as a caulk gun on one side and a bucket of tools on the other, so I’m prepared for whatever the day presents. —JOHN CARROLL Durham, N.C. Masking tape under wire clamp extends life of sandpaper.